Eleventh District Beige Book July 2019 via Dallas Fed

Moderate expansion continued in the Eleventh District economy. Growth in nonfinancial services and manufacturing sectors picked up in June. Retail sales and drilling activity declined. Home sales continued to climb, buoyed by lower mortgage rates. Loan volumes rose at a faster pace, and crop and pasture conditions were mostly favorable. Employment expanded moderately and wage growth remained elevated. Input cost pressures rose in manufacturing, which multiple contacts attributed to the tariffs. Outlooks improved among service sector contacts but worsened among manufacturers and uncertainty increased due to growing concern over tariffs and trade tensions. About 28 percent of respondents to the supplemental questions in the June Texas Business Outlook Surveys indicated being negatively affected by the tariffs while only 5 percent noted a positive impact.

Read more...Eleventh District Beige Book July 2019 via Dallas Fed